This invention relates generally to a grease gun adapter suitable for attachment to a conventional grease gun coupler and in particular those grease gun adapters of particular length and shape for special purpose applications, including the adapter fittings thereto.
Hand-operated grease guns, and portable hand-operated grease cannisters are widely used for applying grease in many applications to automotive, farm, aircraft and industrial equipment. In dispensing the grease from such guns, the operator must usually grasp the dispensing barrel with one hand and the dispensing or pressure operating lever with the other. Considerable force must usually be applied to generate the required pressure within the cylinder of the dispensing head to operate the grease dispensing device. As such, the operator does not have a free hand for holding, or directing, the grease applicator conduit, or associated coupler and fitting.
Fittings with sealed lubrication areas such as sealed bearings, sealed universal joints, pillow block bearings and the like are often found. These fittings, however, require lubrication on occasion. Moreover, many hinges, operating levers, and gear or alternately pressure surfaces require lubrication of small amounts of grease. In these instances a standard grease fitting of the ball adapter type is not adequate and is inconvenient to operate.
Dorn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,470, and Sundholm, U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,533, have taught two types of needle adapter fittings for grease guns for use in tight or constricted applications. The Dorn device, FIG. 1 of his patent, teaches a special purpose needle extension having a compound two-piece adapter for mating directly onto the alemite-type fitting of a standard grease gun. The ball grease fitting as taught by Dorn has a flange which is intended to abut against the end of the grease gun fitting and be held securely thereto by the tension of the grease gun fitting jaws.
Sundholm teaches a similar needle adapter having a specific adapter body as part of its tip or discharge portion and a connector body with a ball-shaped grease fitting, this connector body having a built-up portion against which the discharge fitting of the grease gun abuts. Sundholm, like Dorn, depends upon the compression jaws of the discharge fitting of the grease gun to securely hold his adapter to the grease gun fitting.
Both Dorn and Sundholm teach relatively short adapter needles. This being the case, the connection between the grease gun discharge fitting and the adapter body is normally held by the operator in directing the very short needle.
In situations, however, where an extended needle adapter or an adapter of unusual shape is required, including an adapter having a number of bends, the operator is not able to grasp the adapter at the grease gun fitting while directing the operation of the adapter and thereby is not able to support that coupling. Very often the operator must grasp the extension needle or rod close to the discharge end thereof. In instances where this must be done, the usual stress applied to the flexible grease hose tends to stress the coupling of the adapter to the grease gun discharge fitting. In instances where the grease gun discharge fitting jaws are worn or have reduced spring tension, or the ball of the grease fitting is worn or undersized, the coupling very often breaks, causing a disruption in the greasing operation, and very often, the loss of grease, or more importantly, a contamination of the grease couplings or grease fitting with dirt.
Adapters as taught by Dorn and Sundholm also have a substantial amount of hardware or fittings dedicated to each needle portion.
What is desired, therefore, is a grease gun extension assembly which provides for a rigidity at the coupling point with the grease gun discharge fitting, which resists the premature uncoupling at this location. What is also desired is a grease gun extension assembly capable of many and varied extension rod configurations, with a minimum of dedication of hardware to each specific extension rod configuration, thereby providing a commonality of parts and reduction in cost in manufacture.
An object of the present invention is to provide a grease gun extension assembly, or a collection of extension assemblies having a commonality of component parts.
A second object of this invention is to provide such collection of extension assemblies with individually dedicated grease flow extension rods and a commonality of components for coupling each individual rod to an alemite-type grease fitting.
Another object of this invention is to provide such commonality of components with the capability of lockably rigidifying the connection at the alemite-type grease fitting.
A further object of this invention is to provide each of such individually dedicated grease flow extension rods with a constricted end for a fine bead grease flow ejection.